weight problem

[james357mag]

How much difference does weight actually make in cycling. Like if i lost 5kg with a new bike how much faster will it make me in the argus or sumthing like the cape cobra ? james357mag2007-03-04 09:49:47

[Delgado]

It works considerably in your favour bud!! Since Nov06 I have dropped 8kg's in preperation for the Panorama Tour and it's making a huge difference on climbs!! I think the trick is to shed fat whilst maintaining lean muscle mass...

[james357mag]

How much in a race such as the cobra with a hill top finish? Or Argusjames357mag2007-03-04 09:59:55

[Delgado]

Soory mate I can't say for sure in terms of time.....too scientific for me and I don't know those specific climbs.

[WorcesterWheelers]

It's by FAR the best "upgrade" you can ever make on your bike!!!!

 

I constantly battle with my weight, when I'm inshape, i'm about 77-78kg, when I'm fat and lacking serious training like currently, I'm at 83kg.

 

The extra kg's make it a hell of a lot harder to race, ESPECIALLY when we start going uphill.

 

Just a simple example, these days, for not too much money, you can buy a road bike of under 8kg. To loose 1.5kg on a bike, will cost you quite a few thousand rand.

 

If you spent the same amount of money on a diatitian and shopping correctly and follow a healty eating plan, you could easily shed quite a few kilograms.

 

I can't remamber the exact figures, but I think its something to the effect that, all other things beeing equal, for every 3kg you are heavier, you will climb 30sec slower on a climb with a 5% incline.

[Delgado]

You also save money eating less! I've bascially lost the equivalent of my total bike's weight and the difference is huge!

[hagar]

It's by FAR the best "upgrade" you can ever make on your bike!!!!

 

 

I will second that I lost 19kgs from 112kgs to 93 kgs in a year and it has really made a big difference . Still battle uphill but is alot easier . Best upgrade to date and my health is alot better too .(I am diabetic type 2)

[Windbreaker]

 

 

Here is a site that will tell you exactly how much difference the additional weight will cost you. It's not as much as people think, but "every second counts" 

 

http://www.analyticcycling.com/ForcesLessWeight_Page.html

 

For example, on Ou Kaapse Weg from the Sunvalley side (~ 7km), you'll save 76s if you could shed 5kg.  That is quite a lot.

 

Windbreaker2007-03-04 10:59:20

[james357mag]

Thanks that webiste is really cool times r quite big for something liek Franchoek pass i would save about 1:10

[HendrikS]

I think i read a article that said that for every 1kg you drop your power to mass ration goes up by 0.1.?  and the the difference between a 5.5 and 5.9 watt/kg mass ratio is pretty big.  So for all the guys who is riding R50000 sub 7kg bikes that are 5kg over weight that is money well spent hey...

 

by the way.  Ullrich's power to mass at form were 7.3 w/kg

[racman]

Maybe this helps a bit. I did the West Coast Cycle Race (undulating course) on 14 Dec in a time of 3hr 57 - 80km. On 24 Feb did Wild Fruit Race (also undulating) in 3hr24 -100km after having lost about 15kg - eat less and a lot of HARD training !!! Losing the extra kilos has a double benefit while training - not to mention the psychological impact.

[HendrikS]

sure it helped with the ladies too...

[Jean-Jay]

 

Yeah i cant agree more, allow me to blow all your minds away with this.

 

I weighed around 80kg middle december last year.

 

I now weigh 71kg. My power to weight ratio is in orbit! You have no idea how much faster you go all of the sudden on the bike, muscles last longer and i finish feeling great.

 

I now actually look forward to the hills.

 

Good luck in loosing weight, it's tough but the benefits are amazing. Chances are ur already strong enough, just need to loose the bagage and presto!!!!! ur the next South-African Road Race Champion.

 

tooHot!!!!2007-03-04 11:34:05

[bikemonster]

Sorry guys, but there is the usual BS of mis-interpreted data going on here.

 

I have no doubt that all of the anecdotal evidence is accurate, that everybody who says I lost x kg and am now z km/h faster over n km is telling the truth.

 

Trouble is, there are two variables at play: weight loss and improved fitness.  There is no way to split them out.  You train and gain power and lose weight.  How do we know how much of the improved speed is attributable to improved power and how much to lost weight?  Answer, we don't.

 

For a non-obese person there is a danger that losing weight can mean losing muscle mass, which makes blanket suggestions that we all need to lose weight potentially dangerous.  (Not that I am accusing anybody here of having made that dangerous suggestion.)

 

Ride your bike, eat sensibly, try and cut out eating garbage, as much as you can, and you will get faster.  It really is that simple.

 

[Racing Hart]

"I think i read a article that said that for every 1kg you drop your power to mass ration goes up by 0.1.? "

Correct..Power to mass(watts/kg)..If you remain on the same watts and drop 1kg..you gain more or less 0.1w/kg.. And a half watts per kg's you can gain is a incredible difference..It estimated that you can only gain 0.5kg/watts per year on a full devolped rider on peak performance...

 

But losing weight should be done in a healthy way, steadily by eating and training right..else you might lose muscles mass or devolop serious health problems..So if you want a good year..you should really lay off the cakes and fatty foods on december..because else you will battle the whole season through.. 

[Racing Hart]

as for calculating speed and time is virtuelly impossible..as there is too many variants..Like speed,wind resistince/draft,weight,aerodynamics,type muscles and power